Protecting Your Child: Legal Steps for Parents
Hello, my name is Dillan Savage of Wirth Law Office – Oklahoma City. Today we are going to be talking about what you as a parent can do in a situation where you believe your child is being placed in harm’s way or even being harmed by the other parent.
Oklahoma has actually got a statute on this. It is under Title 43, Section 111.4. In the event that you have a reasonable belief and you are acting in good faith that your child is potentially being abused at the home of the other parent or that they are being exposed to drugs, alcohol, something that would place them in harm’s way, or just being outright neglected, you can take certain steps.
Legal Steps to Protect Your Child
Those steps could include calling the police for welfare checks, getting the Department of Human Services (DHS) involved, Child Protective Services, or if it is bad enough and again you are acting in good faith and reasonably, you could potentially withhold visitation from the other party. This is, as I said, backed up by Oklahoma law under statute in Title 43, Section 111.4.
It specifically states that if the child is going to be exposed to irreparable harm, you can potentially refuse to permit visitation. Now, this is the extreme because if this happens, you will likely be pulled into court and will have to prove that there was, in fact, irreparable harm.
Taking Precautionary Measures
Before you take such drastic measures, make sure that you are certain about the situation. In the event that you do have substantial evidence, it is always best to get a court order for the refusal of visitation of the other party. You can gather your evidence and file a motion to suspend visitation rights for the other parent.
The court will then hear your motion and could suspend the other party’s visitation rights or mandate supervised visitation, depending on the viewpoint of the court at that time. Again, it is always best to have a court order to back you up on this matter.
Conclusion: Protecting Your Child’s Well-Being
To summarize, if you believe your child is facing irreparable harm in the custody and control of the other party, you do have options to protect your child. If you found this video to be helpful or believe it could assist someone else, please visit OKC attonreys. My name is Dillan Savage of Wirth Law Office, and thank you for watching.
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If you need further assistance or wish to discuss your situation, contact us today at 405-888-5400 for a low-cost consultation. Your child’s safety is our top priority!
